Intermediate - Monkey Show

Right-Wingnut

Dilu: 你好。欢迎收听中文播客。我是Dilu。

John: Hey guys, I'm John. This is an Intermediate lesson. Today its all about the monkey show.

Dilu: 今天我们要聊一聊：耍猴表演。耍猴表演。

John: 耍猴表演。First of all, 猴 refers to 猴子。

Dilu: 对。

John: So there's our monkey. And the word at the end is ...

Dilu: 表演。表演。两个第三声。

John: Two 3rd tones. That means 'to perform' or 'a performance'.

Right-Wingnut

Dilu: 对。

John: Before that we had 耍猴. What is this 耍?

Dilu: 我们说耍猴，就是让猴子去表演。

John: Basically think of it as a chunk. Monkey show in Chinese is ...

Dilu: 耍猴表演。

John: Now you might not agree with this kind of thing, but its pretty common in China. So even if you hate this type of treatment of animals, you can study this lesson and talk about it.

Dilu: 好。那我们先来听一下对话。

0:55 - Dialog

Right-Wingnut

Dialog

Right-Wingnut

Dialog

Right-Wingnut

1:55

John: In the beginning this female character is attracted by something.

Dilu: 她应该［实有］听到声音，然后她说：那边好热闹，我们去看看吧。

John: 热闹 - 4th tone, neutral tone - there's lots of noise, people are talking, there's some hubbub, some commotion.

Dilu: 对。中国人就很喜欢热闹。热闹。

John: And when there's a crowd, people like to rush over and see what all the fuss is.

Dilu: 对。你经常会在马路上面看到有很多人［？］在一起很热闹。但是可能只是一个 - 不知道 - 妈妈在打小孩儿。我不知道。

Right-Wingnut

2:30

John: But in this case, what do they discover all the 热闹 is about?

Dilu: 原来是耍猴表演啊。原来是耍猴表演。

John: There's that word again for 'monkey show'. 耍猴表演。That's 3rd-2nd and then 3rd-3rd.

Dilu: 对。

John: But the whole sentence, what does it lead off with?

Dilu: 原来。原来是耍猴表演啊。

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John: 原来, two 2nd tones, that means 'originally'. But this usage you can't translate as 'originally'. How would you describe how we use this?

Dilu: 就是你之前不知道［？］好热闹怎么会是，然后你一现在就看了一下，你现在知道了。

John: So you didn't know, then you find out, and 'now I know'. 'Oh that's why'. When you have this feeling, you begin the sentence with 原来。

Dilu: 对。原来是耍猴表演啊。

Right-Wingnut

3:28

John: Oh, so that's what all the fuss is about. 原来是这样。And then we here the guy commanding the monkey. What does he say?

Dilu: 第一个是：立正。立正。

John: 立正 literally means 'stand up straight'.

Dilu: 对。就是站直的意思。

John: But its also a military command, like when the drill sergeant says 'attention'. That's this 立正.

Dilu: 对对对。就是你听到立正，你就要站直，然后［shou fan hao]，站［了］很直。

John: So 立正, stand up straight, that's two 4th tones.

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4:01

Dilu: 对。两个第四声。立正。

John: And the next one?

Dilu: 坐下。坐下。

John: And the next one?

Dilu: 吃根香蕉，翻跟头。

John: That's 'eat a banana'.

Dilu: 对。这里是：吃一根香蕉。

John: 根, 1st tone, that's the measure word. And then the final one was ...

Dilu: 翻跟头。翻跟头。

John: Actually the verb here is 翻, 1st tone, and 跟头 - 1st tone, neutral tone - that means 'flip' or somersault.

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4:33

Dilu: 对。就是让这个猴子可能跳起来，然后转圈。

John: That would be 'do a flip'. 翻跟头.

Dilu: 是的。

John: Or if its on the ground, it could also be 'do a somersault', which is also 翻跟头。

Dilu: 对。那地上的那个也叫翻跟头。这个女孩子说：这小猴子真听话。真听话。

John: 听话 looks like it means 'listen to what someone says'. And that is what it means in the sense of being 'obedient'.